Azusa Pacific University

Azusa Pacific University (APU) is an evangelical Christian university located near Los Angeles. APU holds regional accreditation by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).

As well as the main Azusa campus – situated in the San Gabriel Valley – the university also maintains six off-site regional centres in Southern California: Inland Empire Regional Centre in San Bernardino, Murrieta Regional Centre, San Diego Regional Centre, High Desert Regional Centre in Victorville, Los Angeles Regional Centre, and Orange County Regional Centre.

Despite foundations dating back to 1899, the university began offering degrees in 1939. Azusa is now organised into three colleges and seven schools, which includes: liberal arts and sciences, music and the arts, accounting, adult and professional studies, behavioural and applied sciences, business and management, education, nursing, and theology.

APU has three libraries on its main campus and six off-campus libraries which supports students with their academic studies. The main campus libraries are the William V. Marshburn Library, Hugh and Hazel Darling Library, and Stamps Theological Library. APU also has a special collection, which includes hundreds of historical documents.

Moreover, in 2009, the university acquired a collection of antiquities including five fragments of the Dead Sea Scrolls and five first-edition prints of the King James Bible. These are on display at the university in an exhibition.

There are more than 300 students competing in the Pacific West Conference in Division II of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) across many sports, including: acrobatics, basketball, football, swimming and diving, tennis, volleyball and water polo.

Notable alumni include Julie Ertel, a 2000 Olympic Gold Medalist for Water Polo and a 2008 Olympic Triathlete, Marcie Dodd, an actress who performed in Wicked on broadway, and James "The Sandman" Irvin, an MMA fighter.